Chapter 2~
Asen carefully removed the necklace hanging around her neck. It was a large, gaudy piece with a cheap-looking gem, but upon closer inspection, the crude stone had a small lid. There must be a potion inside.
Cecilia’s eyes widened. The hiccup—or was it a sob?—that she had been unable to control earlier suddenly stopped on its own.
If only she could win the heart of Dmitri, whom she had loved for so long.
But…
I shouldn’t do this.
She shook her head.
To win Dmitri’s heart now would be no different from stealing Roséine’s place. She was angry at Roséine, yes—but she didn’t want revenge like that.
And the thought of seducing Dmitri with the help of a drug wounded her pride.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
While Cecilia was still conflicted, Asen reached out—without permission—toward her golden hair and plucked a single strand.
The sharp sting snapped Cecilia back to her senses, and she hurriedly spoke.
“But Miss Asen! I don’t want to go this far. No matter what the process was, Lord Dmitri chose Roséine!”
Ignoring her, Asen opened the lid of the gem containing the potion and held it out.
“Could you hold this for a moment?”
Without thinking, Cecilia took the lid as instructed.
Whoosh—
With a short whistle, the strand of golden hair in Asen’s hand caught fire. Soon, the flame died down into ash and fell into the vial containing the potion.
Asen closed the gem again and grinned.
“I’ll take care of getting my hands dirty. You just make your choice.”
The terrace where the two stood was shrouded in darkness as night deepened. Cecilia couldn’t read Asen’s expression, and a chill ran down her spine. At first, it seemed like Asen pitied her—but now, it almost looked like she was enjoying the situation.
“I’ll put this potion into the cocktail Dmitri will drink. You can either watch… or take the glass from him. Just choose one.”
“I—I… Miss Asen?”
“There’s no time. Let’s go greet that disgusting couple already!”
Like a child eager for entertainment, Asen grabbed Cecilia’s hand and pulled her back into the banquet hall.
Something about the way Asen walked—almost excited—felt unfamiliar to Cecilia.
[“Sometimes… Miss Asen gives me chills.”]
[“When she talks about magic, she’s like a completely different person.”]
The noble ladies’ gossip suddenly came to mind—how the usually shy and quiet Asen became someone entirely different when it came to magic.
Thud—
The moment they entered the hall, Cecilia collided with something solid. If Asen hadn’t caught her, she would have fallen to the floor.
It hurt quite a bit. Wincing, Cecilia turned her head to see what she had bumped into.
A surface of polished silver armor gleamed.
…Armor?
She blinked in confusion. Someone had come to the banquet wearing armor.
Wearing armor to a banquet? Especially for an engagement ceremony—you’re supposed to dress properly…
Slowly lifting her gaze, Cecilia tried to identify the owner of the armor.
…?!
She froze in shock.
There was blood splattered across one side of the man’s face. The contrast between his pale skin and the vivid red blood was stark—like blood scattered across snow.
…Is that really blood? No… maybe it’s sauce?
His appearance felt so out of place that it filled her with an inexplicable fear.
“You run into someone and don’t even apologize.”
His tone was flat, almost incredulous.
Startled, Cecilia quickly came to her senses. He was tall—she had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. His dark blue eyes looked down at her coldly, as if she were insignificant.
If anyone’s hurt, it’s me!
Despite her inner protest, she decided to apologize.
“I’m sorry.”
The man said nothing.
Caught off guard by his silence, Cecilia heard Asen whisper beside her.
“He’s the second son of the Duke Gemini family.”
Cecilia’s mouth fell open in shock.
Theros Gemini.
The younger brother of Dmitri—the man she loved. A young hero known for his swordsmanship and strategy, who had achieved great feats in wars between the empire and neighboring nations.
Of course she knew him. But he rarely attended social gatherings, and his current appearance was nothing like when she had seen him at a ducal ball before—that’s why she hadn’t recognized him right away.
Breaking the awkward silence between them was a familiar voice.
“Theros, showing up to my engagement like this… I suppose I should thank you.”
Cecilia instantly recognized the voice.
Dmitri Gemini.
Even that brief sentence was enough to stir all the emotions she had buried deep inside.
Almost reflexively, Cecilia turned her head and met his gaze.
And beside him stood Roséine Deneuve—her closest friend, now his fiancée.
Cecilia didn’t know what kind of expression she should wear as she looked at her friend. What would Roséine say to her?
“As expected! Cecile, I knew you’d come!”
As if they had just met for tea yesterday, Roséine greeted her warmly, with her usual tone and expression.
Cecilia stood there, speechless.
Roséine quickly shifted her attention to Theros.
“Hello, Lord Theros. Your outfit looks wonderful.”
She winked playfully, as if making a joke.
“The new recruits are so pathetic. I was trying to whip them into shape and nearly killed them—almost missed the engagement because of it.”
At the words “nearly killed them,” Theros curled one corner of his lips into a grin. There was something wicked about it that made people shudder.
Naturally, Roséine introduced Dmitri.
“Cecile, this is my fiancé, Dmitri Gemini.”
Each word felt unreal to Cecilia.
“It’s been a while, Miss Cecilia. I hear you’re Roséine’s closest friend.”
Dmitri greeted her, gently kissing the back of her hand.
Cecilia froze, unable to speak.
On the carriage ride to Stainy Castle, she had resolved to congratulate them. She had imagined this moment—herself offering kind words.
But reality was different.
Her tongue felt stiff, refusing to move.
Yet standing there silently felt suffocating. She resented Roséine for not explaining anything beforehand, even though she had plenty of chances.
She gathered her courage and delivered a sharp remark.
“Congratulations, Lord Dmitri. I had no idea Roséine was hiding her fiancé so carefully—even from her closest friend. I only found out after receiving the invitation!”
Though she addressed Dmitri, her gaze was fixed coldly on Roséine.
Roséine, however, remained calm, smiling as always.
Ah, that wasn’t sharp enough!
Cecilia held back the urge to pound her chest in frustration.
No matter what she said, she would only seem like a bitter woman trying to ruin the mood.
“Our Cecile must have felt hurt, didn’t you? I wanted to take things slowly, so I couldn’t tell anyone.”
Roséine linked arms with her, speaking sweetly.
Let go.
Cecilia forced a smile and gently removed her gaze before speaking again.
“You know how kind Roséine is? She even asked around among the ladies to help solve a very personal concern of mine.”
Dmitri wouldn’t understand—but Roséine surely would.
Cecilia met her eyes challengingly, hoping to see even a hint of guilt.
Rose, why did you tell others about Dmitri?
But Roséine remained perfectly composed.
“Oh my, it’s nothing. That’s normal between friends.”
You vicious girl. Were you always like this?
An invisible spark flew between the two women.
“Ah, Miss Cecilia. This is my younger brother, Theros.”
Unbothered, Dmitri introduced him.
Theros looked nothing like his older brother.
Dmitri was slender, with gentle and refined features—pleasant to anyone who saw him.
Theros, on the other hand, was tall and broad-shouldered. Handsome, yes—but his jet-black hair and icy expression gave him a cold, rigid presence.
And the bloodstain on his cheek only made it more unsettling.
Cecilia lifted the hem of her dress slightly and greeted him; Theros gave a reluctant nod in return.
At that moment, a servant carrying a tray of cocktails passed by.
Beside Cecilia, Asen picked up a glass and handed it to Dmitri.
“A toast to the beautiful couple.”
“A drink from a mage lady—what an honor, Lady Odique.”
Her words lightened the atmosphere, and Dmitri accepted the glass without hesitation.
Ah…!
Cecilia screamed inwardly.
No. Asen put the potion in that glass!
She had followed along absentmindedly before—but now, at this crucial moment, she knew exactly what she wanted.
It has to be real.
She didn’t just want Dmitri.
She wanted his genuine affection, his sincerity—a real relationship where they could be happy together.
If he looked at her because of a potion… how tragic would that be?
Her chaotic thoughts cleared in an instant.
Dmitri must not drink that.
What do I do?
In that brief moment, Cecilia bit her lip anxiously.
She had to take the glass from him.
But then what? What excuse would she give?
Unaware of everything, Dmitri smiled brightly, raising the glass in a toast—
and began to tilt it toward his lips.
Cecilia’s mind erupted in panic.
